Important Considerations Before Accepting a Job or Internship

The Wasserman Center encourages students to pursue experiential learning opportunities throughout their time at NYU. An internship combines what you are learning in the classroom in a real world setting. Through this experience, you should gain practical knowledge and build professional connections while receiving feedback from your supervisor.

Before You Accept an Offer

It is important to get a realistic idea of what the position has to offer. At the interview stage, make sure you ask questions such as:

What is a typical day like in this role?

Who will my supervisor be?

What type of evaluation and review process takes place to evaluate performance?

Am I gaining transferable skills that will prepare me for the next step in my career?

Compensation

The Wasserman Center believes that all students should receive compensation for their work. However, we acknowledge that some industries do not typically pay their interns, yet they still provide a meaningful learning experience.

Note: In New York City it is illegal for employers to ask about your salary history during the hiring process.

Too Good To Be True?

The Wasserman Center makes every effort to screen employers and job postings on NYU CareerNet. However, if you receive a suspicious email or phone message from an employer, it is extremely important to exercise caution.Contact the Wasserman Center immediately if you believe you have encountered a fraudulent job posting.

Internships and Academic Credit

If an employer states that you can intern for academic credit, you must consider the following and seek approval from your academic advisor:

Will your academic advisor agree to the terms of the internship?

Will the employer agree to the terms of the academic course requirements?

Do you have the appropriate work authorization to intern as outlined by the employer?

New York University offers the following guidance to schools on the issue of student internships: A student internship can be defined as “a form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional setting” (National Association of Colleges and Employers). Credit towards the NYU degree, however, should be awarded for courses, not for internship placements. Although an internship placement (either paid or unpaid) may be a co-requisite for a course, students should receive credit only for academic work that is assessed by an instructor as part of a course—not for the professional development that they receive through their placement. In such cases, students are expected to select appropriate placements in collaboration with the course instructor.